GIGABAT

Energy Storage

Sustainable and digitalized GIGAfactory for BATtery production with made-in-Europe machinery.

The project:

urope needs to consolidate efficiently its battery manufacturing value chain for large-scale cell production to enable a sustainable and ecological transition, minimizing the associated emissions, optimizing the battery performance and cost, and ensuring circularity. Emerging Gigafactories will enable increasing EU cell battery production capacity from the current 60 GWh to 900 GWh to meet the EU’s 2030 targets and ensure EU prosperity. For this purpose, it is essential to promote EU-based machinery and providers to gain technological and industrial independence. It is also needed to integrate the local energy and materials supply chains to build a seamless, efficient and dynamic local ecosystem.

GIGABAT aims at strengthening the EU cell manufacturing industry and its value chain, by engaging its key players, for the development of GEN3b (Li-ion) batteries. This will require the development of new, energy-efficient, cell manufacturing machinery adapted to Gigafactory needs, as well as the validation in pilot plants to ensure correct functioning in real environments. Optimization of Gigafactories via sector coupling is also targeted, promoting sustainability, improving carbon footprint and energy management, and digitalizing made-in-Europe machinery. New Gigafactory design also including logistic and recyclability targets the whole digitalization of the production plant.

GIGABAT brings together existing suppliers of the battery value chain and will incorporate new companies to the market. It also contributes to integrate actors delivering cost competitive and optimized production machinery. The consortium involves academia, technology centers, equipment manufacturers, experts in LCA/LCC, recycling, logistics and digitalization and cell manufacturers. The EU battery ecosystem will also be reinforced with cooperation activities between the consortium and a stakeholder group comprising several Gigafactories.

CIDETEC’S role in the project:

CIDETEC Energy Storage is the coordinator of the project and leader of one WPs. CIDETEC will upgrade different sections of the processes and equipment for electrode fabrication (mixing, coating and calendaring) that is being installed or planned to be installed in European Gigafactories for the production of Li-ion batteries. Furthermore, CIDETEC will support the other partners of the project in setting the groundwork for the development of the future gigafactories, with special emphasis on the digitalization of the cell production and boosting the Gigafactory ecosystem.